UnwelcomeinPeru

I suspect you might have had something to say if 'Xabi', 'Fernando' and 'Alvaro' had come strolling out in days gone by.

Although I agree that Chelsea cannot be held responsible for the behaviour on the Paris metro, there is something badly wrong about that club. Was anyone even slightly surprised about the Paris and St Pancras stories? Not anyone who has ever been anywhere near their vile supporters for sure. The club alpha is a player who has been fired and ostracised from his national team after his shocking racist language saw him prosecuted. Would it be acceptable for Steven Gerrard to have used language like that and still be captain of our club? Or Carrick/Rooney? Jagielka? Then some knuckle-dragger from one of their fan groups comes on the radio and says, in so many words, 'the fella on the metro said he'd been subject to racism all his life so I don't know why he is getting all pissy about this'. Costa is complaining that he gets treated differently to other players. True. That's because most other players aren't cheating snides.

I had the misfortune to catch some part of Mourinho's press event today on the news. He managed to out-wanker himself, which takes some doing. As for playing at home against your closest rivals, 5 points clear, knowing that a win makes the title yours to lose, and cravenly cowering in your own half hoping not to get beat, well he's shown again what a coward he is. But we've known that since the CL semi in 2007. Prick.

+1

Phil Dowd refereed Chelsea 4 times in the PL last year. Chelsea won them all, including wins over Arsenal and United. He sent opposing players off in 2 of those games. Presumably he passed the necessary fitness tests then too. Mourinho is one of these classless people who believe that success and wealth exempt them from standards of professionalism, respect, courtesy and decency. He is also now a crashing bore. I find these self-imposed 'silences' of his refreshing.

Not sure the goalie's going to get much of a look in

Dirk Kurt sounds like a discourteous Dutchman. I thought Robert Green's effort at keeping Rosicky's shot out vs QPR was pitiful. If that had been Jones or Mignolet we would - rightly - be digging out the tar and feathers.

Picking up on your chants point, I got in the car on Monday night and Radio 5 came on. They were covering the Stoke game. Chelsea had it seemed just scored. In the background I could hear their 'fans' singing the Gerrard/Demba Ba song. I gasped. I simply don't get it. An early goal in an awkward away game to go top of the League and you sing about a mistake a player from another team made that mean that another team won a competition that your team could have won. I put Radio 2 on and straight away forgot all about them.

Jones Money Berlin Carragher Cohen Kennedy Stig McCateer Riise Aurelio Ziege

I'd add 10. Professional midfield players have to hit the target when they shoot from inside the box. Is that too much to expect? Bring the opposition keeper into the game. Head, knee and foot in line, strike. Is that being too demanding? Markovic, Lucas and Coutinho all guilty. You don't expect a goal from each of those chances but you expect the keeper to have to do something. 4 in spades. He looks terrified of the ball. The second was well hit but at him. He nearly cost us the game with the 'save' in the last minute that almost became an assist.

The Tesco at Litherland has a lot more car park space, and the little trolley shelters are placed at distances that give you a nice long straight run-up. The tarmac is in much better condition too than at Formby and it sounds like you simply were on the wrong end of the trolley equivalent of a bobble.

Did Ronnie Whelan score on his debut vs Stoke? I can't remember who it was now.

une plus encore

Everton supporters can be quietly satisfied with the season so far. Last year they made a massive mess of things. Had they not taken 5 points off Arsenal then Arsenal would have finished level with Liverpool. If they hadn't gone and beaten the Chavs then said Chavs would have been 2nd. OK they realised just what the hell they were doing and remedied things late at home to City but they would have been badly rattled. Much better this season. It's all about where Liverpool finish for them and they are putting in a shift already on that score.

Was he in Seinfeld?

And I will raise you an Arturo Vidal. When I first saw Chile one of the fellas watching muttered 'there's a few fellas there I wouldn't like to share a cell with'. Which produced a quizzical look or two.

I'm glad you mentioned the Palacios tail. My sandwich fell out my mouth the first time I saw that. Maybe he's a Tears for Fears freak.

My daughter knows when I am reading one of Dave's round-ups because she sees me sitting at the laptop, periodically jabbing my finger and muttering 'exactement'. My one 'oui, mais...' is Brazil. They are an offensive set of pricks and I will enjoy Germany crushing them next week. But Neymar has been a surprise. I thought he was a wanker in the Ronaldo league of wankers (Ronaldo has his own museum??!) but the way he has dealt with the demands of being the only show in town in a team like that has been admirable. Takes some kicks too - a broken spine?! I like Loew. All that seems to be missing is a sweater across the shoulders and a Gitanes.

There's potentially quite a messy legal issue with the Suarez matter, in that Liverpool don't have any institutional appeal or redress against the FIFA decision - even though that clearly costs them a great deal. In some ways that is the situation with doping cases, but the difference there is that doping cases are subject to a worldwide code and are accepted as having global application by all involved. This is very different. By taking the unusual step of making the ban apply across all forms of football FIFA has put itself in a difficult and avoidable position.

Brazil are shit and I am looking forward to them going out. Aside from one or two exceptions - Thiago Silva and Neymar (who at least has done what he's in the team for) their squad seems to be either Has Beens/Who?/or turds like Luiz, Oscar, Willian. I can't remember them being less likeable. Their fans piss me off too. Like 70,000 versions of that 'Arsenal fan' in the Fast Show. As for Itandje, well. I don't know any pub goalies but if I did I imagine they'd be pissed off at the comparison. Neymar's 2nd tonight was ridiculous.

I thought that was when we got turned over 3-0 by PSG in the ECWC semi, but am probably wrong. I struggle to remember what I wore yesterday most days now.

I agree it falls down at the very top. It is fatuous to say that Liverpool's target next season is to improve by 3 points. I don't think it is all that odd when you are looking at the top 4. To an extent it is relative - Arsenal improved by 6 points last season but stayed 4th. Statistically though 75 points and above generally gets a team in the top 4. So for this new guy it is about improving the points score by not getting beat by middling teams at home and letting in last minute equalisers. Fix that and maintain performance and he is on his way.

Sigh.

He reads like a fixer. United were 15 points off the CL places this year. That is a lot of points, but not insurmountable - Redknapp was able to do a similar job with Spurs a few years ago. His brief is to get above Arsenal (who now they scraped an FA Cup against a team they scored 42 points more than are bigshots again I read - did I miss the memo?). But - the players, aside from those you need one hand to tick off - are no good. Can a fella who has a WC to prepare for - first game in 3 weeks or so - do anything like enough business to make a difference this year. His record in the last 10-12 years is modest and he hasn't managed a club since 2011. If they'd got Rafa I'd have been worried. Next year the question is 'who do we need to be better than to win the League'? I'm not seeing United.